Are you tired of spending hundreds of dollars every couple of years to replace your home’s outdoor furniture?

The sun, rain, heat, and other weather conditions can take a toll on patio furniture and force you to throw it out sooner than you should have to. Wooden furniture, in particular, can crack and fade quickly when you don’t take the proper steps to care for it.

The good news is that you can protect your outdoor patio furniture from the elements if you’re willing to put in a little bit of work. By following a few simple tips, you can make your furniture last longer and ensure that it’s beautiful and comfortable for many years to come.

Here is how to protect your outdoor furniture from the weather.

Think About the Weather Conditions in Your Area

The first thing you’ll want to do when considering ways to protect your outdoor furniture is think about what kind of weather you get throughout the year.

If you live in a state that’s almost always hot and sunny, you probably don’t have to spend much time worrying about coating your furniture with water sealant. If you live in a state that is routinely subjected to rain, on the other hand, a water sealant might be your furniture’s best friend.

Make a list of the weather conditions your furniture will face during the different seasons. This will help you find ways to protect it from the right elements.

Put Your Furniture in a Safe Place Outside of Your Home

In addition to considering the weather conditions your outdoor patio furniture will face, you should also spend time thinking about where you’re going to place your furniture.

Can you put it in a shady part of your yard where the sun won’t be able to get to it? Can you put it under an awning where it won’t face much rain and other moisture? Can you put it in a spot where the wind won’t be able to knock it over?

The placement of your furniture is very important. You obviously want it to be somewhere where it’ll be comfortable to use. But you don’t want to leave it somewhere that is going to make it susceptible to weather-related damage.

Paint Your Furniture If It’s Made Out of Wood

If you have wooden outdoor furniture, your best bet as far as protection is concerned is probably going to be to paint it.

Unfortunately, you’ll miss out on the chance to embrace the natural look of wood when you take this approach. But by painting outdoor wooden furniture, you’ll get to enjoy a whole host of other benefits.

The paint that you put on your wooden furniture will:

• Reflect UV rays from the sun and prevent the furniture from fading
• Turn rainwater and other moisture away and stop your wood from rotting
• Let you know when it’s time to maintain your outdoor patio furniture by chipping and peeling

Initially, you might be a little hesitant to put paint all over your brand-new wooden furniture.

But over time, you’ll see that it was the right decision.

Apply Water Sealant and Varnish to Your Wood Furniture, Too

If you live in a part of the country that gets a lot of rain, paint might not do a good enough job when it comes to keeping moisture away from wooden furniture.

You’re probably better off applying a best of class product that will seal your furniture and make it completely water resistant. There are special water sealants and varnishes on the market that are designed to get this job done.

Water sealant and varnish will do more than protect your wooden furniture, too. They’ll improve its overall appearance and make it look good for years to come.

Just make sure you reapply the water sealant and varnish of your choice every so often to ensure it continues to do its job. Otherwise, it might not do much to protect your furniture from water.

Cover Furniture Up When You’re Not Using It

Most people only use their outdoor furniture a few times every week. The rest of the time, it sits unused and exposed to the weather elements.

Rather than going this route, make an effort to cover up your furniture when you’re not using it. There are chair and table covers that you can slide right over your furniture in just seconds to keep them protected.

You’ll need to spend some money on these covers and get into the habit of actually using them. But the covers will be a great investment on your part and will extend the life of your furniture when you use them.

Place Furniture in a Shed, Garage, or Basement During the Winter Months

Outdoor furniture can be big and bulky. As a result, you might decide to leave it outside in the winter, even if that means that it’s going to end up getting covered in leaves, snow, and more during the winter months.

If you have space in a shed, garage, or even your basement for outdoor patio furniture, bring it on in during the wintertime. This will prevent your furniture from having to sit out in the cold all winter long.

It’ll also give you a chance to work on it whenever you get time over the winter. That will allow you to get it back out into your outdoor space once spring comes back around so you can start using it again.

Take Good Care of Your Outdoor Furniture and It’ll Last for a Long Time

Most outdoor furniture is designed to stand up to the weather for at least a year or two. But eventually, it’s not going to be able to take a beating from the sun, rain, wind, and snow anymore.

At least, it won’t be able to do it if you don’t protect it from the elements. Give your outdoor patio furniture the protection it needs, and you won’t have any problem using it for many years.

Check out our blog to learn more about taking better care of your home.